Fighting Pollution In NCR With Tech: ‘Made In India’ Air Pollution Control Tower Installed In Noida

To deal with the problem of rising air pollution in urban areas, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has indigenously designed and developed a prototype Air Pollution Control Tower (APCT).

This APCT has been installed in Noida on a pilot basis by BHEL in association with the Noida Administration. The APCT was inaugurated by Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, Union Minister of Heavy Industries.

“With this initiative, BHEL is working hand in hand with the Noida Authority in the fight against pollution in this area for improving the health of local residents, office-goers and visitors,” BHEL said in a statement.

The National Capital Region is plagued with the problem of air pollution, especially in the winter months, with the Air Quality Index deteriorating to hazardous levels, which is a matter of grave concern for the health of the local population.

Designed and developed by BHEL’s corporate R&D division and manufactured at its HEEP Haridwar plant, the APCT operates by pulling polluted air through its base and capturing the particulate matter in filters installed in the tower. Clean air is then released from the top of the tower.

The captured particulate matter gets collected in the hopper at the bottom of the APCT for periodic removal for disposal. BHEL’s Pollution Control Research Institute, Haridwar, will carry out the performance study of the APCT for one year.

The tower has been set up on the traffic island between the DND Flyway and the slip road to Noida Expressway as pollution is high in this area due to the high volume of traffic on the DND and the Noida Expressway.

Noida authority has provided land for the tower and is bearing 50 per cent of the running expenses. All other developmental and capital costs on design, manufacturing, installation and commissioning and balance running expenses are borne by BHEL.

Based on the success of this project, a grid of such APCTs can be installed in NCR to improve the ambient air quality of the city.